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Taliban must be checked: Brown

LONDON: Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Thursday voiced Britain’s frustration over its allies’ lack of enthusiasm in meeting their military commitment to Afghanistan.

At a press conference during Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s visit here, Mr. Brown urged NATO members to share the military burden in Afghanistan saying defeating the Taliban was key to fighting international terrorism.

Describing Afghanistan as the “frontline against the Taliban,” he said: “We cannot allow the Taliban to be back in control of such an important country.

And the work that has been done in the last six years to build a democracy in Afghanistan is an important bulwark against terrorism everywhere in the world.”

Mr. Karzai thanked Britain for its help and said terrorism remained a problem.

Nearly 8,000 British troops are engaged in a military campaign in Helmand province, and there are fears that unless other NATO allies meet their commitment Britain could remain bogged down there for years.

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